The gas shortage in New York and New Jersey is likely to continue for 'a number of days,' the governor of New York warned on Sunday.

Major pipelines are coming back online, service stations are re-opening and the federal government is working to ship millions of gallons of fuel to the region -- but long lines still greeted most drivers who were looking to fill their tanks.

For a second day, New Jersey Gov Chris Christie ordered gas rationing in 12 of his state's 21 counties. Only cars with even-numbered license plates were allowed to fill up on Sunday.

Odd-numbered license plates will have access to fuel on Monday.

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A man known as Travis is arrested by NYPD in Crown Heights, Brooklyn following an altercation collecting free FEMA fuel as tensions rise in New York City

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo cautioned
that it will likely be 'a number of days' before there is enough fuel to
go around in New York.

Commercial power was restored at
Colonial Pipeline's key terminal in Linden, New Jersey, a major supply
hub for New York and northern New Jersey.

In the New York Harbor, some of the
four tankers carrying refined fuels and anchored offshore were
transferring shipments to smaller barges for delivery, despite some
traffic restrictions, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

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Late on Saturday, Hess Corp. said
power was partly restored at its 70,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port
Reading, New Jersey, refinery, but it needs full power to complete a
damage assessment. Hess said it could take several days before it could
bring back utility systems necessary to consider restarting.

New Jersey power provider PSE&G
said it brought power back to 78 percent of gasoline stations in its
service area, although by early Sunday, there was still evidence of the
shortages that have gripped the region, causing miles-long gasoline
lines.

With fuel shortages gripping parts of
New York tempers have flared over as desperate drivers try to fill
their tanks to get about the city.

The National Guard distributed free gas to residents outside the Brooklyn Armoury in Brooklyn yesterday

Most waited patiently to collect their $10 of free gas from FEMA in Brooklyn

The National Guard distribute free gas to residents outside the Brooklyn Armoury today

Police had their hands full in the
Crown Heights neighbourhood of Brooklyn as the promise of $10 in free
FEMA gas caused line jumpers to clash with the police leading to
arrests.

Thousands of
otherwise patient motorists lined 12 blocks outside the Bedford Avenue
Armory as 11,000 gallons of free 'Obama Gas' was distributed to ease the
travel chaos across the city almost one week after superstorm Sandy
hit.

'People have been cutting the line
like crazy, and there’s nothing you can do about it,' said Adam
Brahimaj, 24, who had sat in his car for three hours.

One man, identified only as Travis was cuffed by the police after it was claimed he tried to skip the line.

'It’s not good getting into fights over little things like this,' said local resident Sandra Dyer.

'People get killed over things like this.'

However, the situation is set to ease over the next few days after New York Harbor re-opened yesterday allowing the delivery of eight million gallons of gas - with 28 million due at the beginning of the week.

'This was truly a crisis,' said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at his morning briefing.

'This is one of the worst storms that has hit this metropolitan area in generations.

'So it really is a situation that requires patience and it requires the strength and resilience that New Yorkers are famous for.

'Fuel is on its way. You don’t have to panic. We don’t need anxiety. We don’t need the lines. Be prudent, but fuel is one the way.'

Gas rationing went into effect in northern New Jersey, while crowds lined up at free fuel distribution sites in New York's boroughs, where a limit of 10 gallons per person was imposed. New York officials then said emergency vehicles like fire trucks and police patrol cars had the priority over the public.

At the Elizabeth Armory in Staten Island, more than one thousand people lined up in homes to get fuel to heat their homes as a winter chill set in over the storm-ravaged city. Tempers flared, and a fight broke out that had to be broken up by national guardsmen.

People in cars and on foot line up for free gas in Jamaica, Queens today in attempt to get free gasoline provided by the Department of Defense

Bundling up: Residents try to keep warm as they line up for gasoline at a temporary fueling station at the National Guard armory in the Staten Island Borough of New York today

Gov. Andrew Cuomo had announced earlier
today that the U.S. Department of Defense was opening the mobile fuel
stations in New York City and on suburban Long Island.

The state Division of Military and Naval Affairs then asked the public to stay away until more fuel is released, causing a scene of bedlam.

'It's chaos, pandemonium out here,' said Chris Damon, whose family was displaced from his home in the Queens neighborhood of Far Rockaway and are staying with relatives in Brooklyn. He circled the block for 3 1/2 hours at the Brooklyn Armory, where the National Guard was directing traffic.

'It's ridiculous. No one knows what's going on,' he said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had announced that the 5,000-gallon trucks from the Defense Department would set up the emergency mobile gas stations at five locations around the New York City metropolitan area.

'Do not panic. I know there is anxiety about fuel,' he said.

Gas rations: With drivers permitted to buy gas only on days according to their license plate number, a sign on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey reports the rationing in effect

Reporting for duty: Soldiers filled gas canisters for the public who had waited in line for three hours for the fuel delivered by Federal Emergency Management Administration

After the long lines formed, New York state officials said the public should stay away from the refueling stations until emergency responders first got their gas and more supplies are then made available.

The scene was more orderly in hard-hit Staten Island, where a line of cars stretched for two miles under the supervision of police and National Guard troops. Another 400 people were on foot, carrying gas cans.

As gas rationing went into effect at noon in northern New Jersey, police began enforcing rules to allow only motorists with odd-numbered license plates to refuel. Those with even-numbered plates must wait until Sunday.

Jessica Tisdale of Totowa waited in
her Mercedes SUV for 40 minutes at a gas station in Jersey City, but
didn't quite understand the rules and was ordered to pull away because
of her even-numbered plate.

'Is
it the number or the letter?' she asked around 12:10 p.m. 'I don't
think it's fair. I've been in the line since before noon. I don't think
it's fair. There's no clarity.'

The officer who waved her out of line threw up his hands and shrugged.

Tapped out: A filing station in Cranford, New Jersey is seen bent over while the rest of the business is taped off, and tapped out without power and gas

Long wait: Residents line up for gasoline at a temporary fueling station at the National Guard armory in the Staten Island today

Outer borough blues: People line up outside the Bronx Armory, one of the five free emergency fuel stations being set up around the New York metropolitan area

At an Exxon station in Wall, New Jersey, Kathryn Davidson was unaware of the start of rationing but beat the noon deadline despite a 45-minute wait in line and an even-numbered plate.

'How are people supposed to know?' said Davidson, 53, who said it reminded her of the 1970s, when a similar plan was in place.

'There were fistfights and everything. It got nasty,' she said. 'Everyone seems pretty pleasant as of right now.'

In Washington, President Barack Obama visited the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update on superstorm recovery efforts and said 'there's nothing more important than us getting this right.'

'Obviously we've now seen that after the initial search and rescue, the recovery process is difficult and it's painful,' Obama said. 'But I'm confident that we will continue to make progress as long as state and local and federal officials stay focused.'

Obama cited the need to restore power;
pump out water, particularly from electric substations; ensure that
basic needs are addressed; remove debris; and get federal resources in
place to help transportation systems come back on line.

Armed forces: A National Guardsman pumps gasoline in a car at a temporary National Guard fueling center in the Staten Island

Residents line up for gasoline at a temporary fueling station at the National Guard armory in Staten Island; a fight broke out in the 1,000-person line this afternoon

Nowhere else to go: Staten Island residents were forced to queue in the massively long line on the cold November day

About 2.6 million people remained without power in six states after Sandy came ashore Monday night.

About 900,000 people still didn't have electricity in the New York metropolitan area, including about 550,000 on Long Island, Cuomo said.

About 80 percent of New York City's subway service has been restored, he added.

In an effort to protect the state’s dwindling fuel reserves, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has issued an order restricting motorists in 12 northern New Jersey counties to buying gas every other day. But across the river in New York, gas-strapped residents were gutting fuel for free.

Christie says he wants to ease long lines and extended wait times at gas stations and prevent a fuel shortage in the state hard-hit by Superstorm Sandy. Some gas stations closed because of a lack of electricity or gasoline, causing those open to be overburdened with customers.

In New York, the U.S. Department of Defense will set up emergency mobile fuel stations around the New York City metro area. Free gasoline will be distributed, with a 10-gallon per-person limit.

Rationing: New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, pictured yesterday, has restricted motorists from buying gas every other day in an effort to protect the state's dwindling gas supply

Gas giveaway: President Obama, pictured today at a FEMA meeting, has bought up 22 million gallons of gas to help get residents of some of the areas worst affected by Hurricane Sandy back on the road

Prices at the pump have remained
steady despite the shortages, AAA said, averaging just below $4 a gallon
in New York City, 2 cents lower than last week. However, on Long
Island, where only a third of all stations were working, average
gasoline prices jumped 5 cents from a day earlier.

But
online, Craigslist users started offering gasoline for as much as $15 a
gallon to motorists and homeowners not wishing to brave the lines.

It was also revealed that a third day
of gasoline 'panic buying' among storm-stricken New York area motorists
prompted authorities on Friday to tap strategic oil reserves and waive
shipping regulations even as limited deliveries resumed in the battered
region.

The U.S. government
said it will loan 2 million gallons of diesel from the Northeast
emergency heating oil reserve to the military for recovery efforts, and
waived rules barring foreign-flagged vessels from carrying fuel between
U.S. ports in a bid to boost supplies.

Drivers with license plates ending in an even number will be able to buy gas on even-numbered days, and those with plates ending in an odd number can make gas purchases on odd-numbered days.

A Christie spokesman tells the Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark that there currently are no restrictions on filling gas containers.

Taken away: Police arrest a man after he tried to cut in line with a gasoline can in Jamaica, Queens today

Cuffed: The National Guard troops dispense gasoline from a Department of Defense truck after President Obama authorized the move as the city tries to recover from the after effects of Sandy

Christie’s order comes as President Barack Obama announced buying 22 million gallons of gas to help get residents of some of the areas worst affected by Hurricane Sandy back on the road.

The administration has purchased up to 12 million gallons of unleaded fuel and up to 10 million gallons of diesel fuel that will be distributed in New York and New Jersey to supplement private sector efforts.

'Do not panic. I know there is anxiety about fuel.'

-Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo announced Saturday that another 28 million gallons of fuel will be delivered over the next few days.

The Department of Defense will also set up mobile fuel stations
around the New York metro area to distribute gasoline, offering only 10
gallons per-person but free of charge.

Ahead of the announcement, frayed nerves caused people to get violent as they waited hour after hour for gas.

Two people were arrested on Thursday during their attempts to get fuel. According to the Staten Island Advance, one man allegedly attacked an NYPD officer who tried to stop his violent outbursts.

In an unrelated event in the Huguenot neighbourhood of Staten Island, 20-year-old Shayan Behnambakhsh allegedly pulled out a pocket knife and tried to stab a man in line with whom he’d been arguing.

According to court documents, the man initially refused arrest, telling officers: ‘I’m not giving you my hands. I want gas.’

Misery: Drivers get to gas stations as early as they can can to beat the crowds, but the crisis could go on for another week

Drained: Fuel tankers have been diverted to the Port of Virginia, and immediate relief is still some way off

Pushing through: A police officer moves a car that is completely out of gas, trying to position it so it can fill up at a gas station in Brooklyn, New York

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Friday that the President had directed the Defense Logistics Agency to handle the purchase of the fuel.

On the way: Gov Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that another 28 million gallons of fuel will be delivered over the next few days

It will be transported by tanker trucks and distributed throughout the two states and other communities impacted by the storm.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the fuel purchase is part of efforts by governments, private organisations and others to help the region recover from the Superstorm, which left residents queuing at gas stations for a diminishing supply of fuel.

This purchase is in addition to an emergency diesel fuel loan from the Energy Department's Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.

Large parts of the tri-state area were left without power for five days after the storm struck and fuel shortages have become even more dire, prompting some opportunist convenience store owners to charge as much as $6 a gallon.

Becoming ever more desperate for fuel, residents have been bickering over their place in the queue at gas stations and even brandishing firearms to get what they need.

Along the New Jersey turnpike cars have lined up for miles in the hope of getting fuel, but gas stations in many outer-borough areas are sealed off with yellow tape.

As New York Governor Andrew Cuomo promises that fuel-starved areas will be getting relief and 'people will see it quickly', these motorists want gas and they want answers.

Earl Lucas, 72, had seen something like it before - in the Seventies when, he said, there was 'a real gas shortage.'

He added: 'People are angry because the gas is there they just can't get it. Do you know how to get it? Can you use your influence to get some?

'There were five trucks came in here from a Catholic charity and they got straight through and filled up. Some people can get it.'

A source from the Coast Guard told DNAInfo that two million barrels of petrol were being unloaded in surrounding ports, and tankers are heading into New York Harbor.

Take a seat: Patient customers, some with their own food and drink, wait their turn

Can you believe it? Cans and even buckets lie waiting to be filled with gas

Steady stream: Lines were seen wrapping the blocks with those fastest going for those on foot

Returning home: Ross Napoli, left, and Rob Balletto fill gas canisters at a Hess station they plan to use in their cars with many others using it to power their home generators

In an effort to expedite the process, Gov Cuomo has signed an executive order to waive mandatory registration processes that tankards are required to pay before they can transfer their cargo to land.

‘I don’t like to waive the tax,’ he said, but added that it was crucial to do to help alleviate the massive shortages in the area.

Federal requirements for low-smog gasoline have been lifted, and fuel trucks are on their way to the area, but that does not spell any immediate relief for those most stricken.

Throughout New York and New Jersey, motorists and pedestrians are lining up for blocks on end in hopes of snagging some ‘black gold’.

Yellow cabs queue back 17 blocks on Manhattan’s west side, unable to search for fares because of the dire shortage.

Station managers in Queens haven’t been told specifics, only that they hope to have fuel deliveries by early next week.

Mena Aziz, who manages a Gulf Express station in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, said his station ran out of gas at around noon, after being open for just three hours.

'It’s been so busy,' he told the Daily News. ‘That amount would normally take us 24 hours to sell.'

Busy: An Instagram user shares a picture of their local station

Patrick DeHaan, a senior analyst at Gasbuddy.com, told Forbes that there was no shortage of fuel. One problem is that some gas stations have no power to pump the fuel, while others where the pumps worked were running out as word spread among motorists.

Throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, gas is running out, and many stations within the city are additionally crippled, as they have no power.

Hundreds of people in need of petrol have queued up in hopes of buying as many gallons as possible, both for cars and heating.

Some having been siphoning gas out of cars to fuel generators, CBS Local reported.

Families in Staten Island, one of the hardest-hit communities in New York, begged the authorities to give them gasoline, food and clothing, according toABC News.

'We’re going to die!' Donna Solli told visiting officials. 'We’re going to freeze! We got 90-year-old people! You gotta get your trucks down here on the corner now. It’s been three days!'

Staten Island officials blasted the Red Cross for not being there when it counted, on Thursday asking when supplies would come.

The Red Cross and the National Guard arrived in the area late on Tuesday, but many have still not had the help they desperately need.

Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro said on Thursday: 'This is America, not a third world nation. We need food, we need clothing

Struggle: President Obama sent 250,000 gallons of gas and 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel via the Department of Defense

Country in turmoil: The latest update on the after-effects of Sandy

'My advice to the people of Staten Island is: Don’t donate the American Red Cross. Put their money elsewhere.'

Jude Labarca, who is staying with his mother on the Upper East Side because power was out at his Staten Island home, said he had to drive to five stations before finding one that had any gas.

After a 20-minute wait, he said he put about $50 worth into his Mercedes convertible at an out-of-the-way Gulf station in Sunset Park, which was only accepting cash.

'The guy in front of me didn’t have any cash, so he was calling his work to have someone run cash over to him. He was holding up the line,' said Mr Labarca, 45.

'If stations don't get some soon, that's really what is going to drive this city to a halt.'

Two refineries that make up a quarter of the region's refining capacity are still idle due to power outages or flooding; the New York Harbor waterway that imports a fifth of the area's fuel is still closed to traffic, and major import terminals are damaged and powerless.

Once gas terminals have their electricity back this weekend, they have a list of critical locations that are a top priority, from hospitals to refineries.

Those in New Jersey who already received the brunt of Sandy’s force formed increasingly long lines at the pumps, toting red plastic fuel canisters.

Anger: State officials have has help from the Red Cross and the National Guard - but it is still not enough

Killing time: Residents of downtown neighborhoods have had to rely on crowded buses or taxis to get around, though the latter may not be an option in days to come

Many in the state need the gas for both their cars and to heat their homes, FoxNews.com reported.

Earlier, the MTA, which reopened a limited subway service on Thursday, said it had supplies to keep its packed buses running.

‘We are not having any issues with fuel at this point,’ MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. Seaside Heights residents who obeyed the mandatory evacuation order were cut off from their homes.

The entire community was submerged by the storm surge that washed over the island and into the bay that separates it from the mainland.

‘The bay met the ocean,’ said Frank Meszaros, 43, standing next to the closed bridge that kept him from returning home.

‘New York City (gasoline delivery) terminals have power problems. For the individual stations, if they have product they don't have power and many, if they have power, don't have any product.’

Zipcar Inc, a car-sharing company that rents out vehicles at an hourly or daily rate, said it would waive the usual charges for the late return of cars in New York because of traffic or fuel shortages.

‘Any members who are willing to wait in line for fuel, we're willing to waive any late fees,’ said Dan Curtin, Zipcar's vice president of fleet operations in Boston.

The firm was offering members in New York and New Jersey discounts until Friday.